Where was I

[opabinia]

The otters are trained to touch the trainer's hand-held target for fresh fish. Otters are almost intolerably cute to begin with; now imagine several of them casually slapping a little target and rolling around in fish bits and glee.

Okay, so dinner was a decadent affair at Bin. halo and I shared a cheese flight, fresh-baked bread, a white pizza with wild mushrooms, a mozzarella, basil, and tomato salad, and an almond-lemon cake with rhubarb compote and vanilla bean cream. Oh, and the perfect wine for that, whatever it was. Holy shit, that was good.

After dinner came the glass of Don Fulano Reposado at Salud. The barkeep asked if we wanted lime with it. :P

We hit Pontiac for about 30 seconds. Had to be 200 degrees in there. Moved on to Blue Line, where I tried not to stare a hole through the beauuutiful bartender.


Today we went to the U of C gym, a new building with excellent air conditioning. It was full of swimming faggots* and state-of-the-art equipment.


deadlift 5 @225lb
realized it wasn't 245lb, felt dumb
deadlift 5 @245lb
side press 2x5 (RL) @65lb
close-parallel-grip pull-up +45lb 2x5
push-up +35lb 4x10
front squat 5 @70lb
front squat 5 @90lb

It's been years since I lifted in a gym. I felt oddly self-conscious.

We wandered around campus. The Regenstein Library is a magnificent example of of poured concrete Brutalism. I loved it. Halo hates it passionately.

Then there was lunch at Medici, where the decor consists of decades of overlapping graffiti and goddammit it's too hot to think of more clever shit to say.

I swear to God, it's a million fucking degrees here. That's why we ran back for showers, hid in air conditioning until 6, then walked along the beach and out onto the pier. We ran into a drumming circle on the way back. (Cool wrinkly black guys with nice hats, not stinky hippies with Phish T-shirts.)

We meant to hit a few spots tonight, but heat stroke has felled my hostess, and I don't feel like moving much, either.

Tomorrow is supposed to be worse. WTF. I suggested sneaking out to the city just before dawn, and then darting from climate-controlled museum to museum. I have to see the Bean, and get on one of those architectural tour boat things. Then there's the Sears Tower, which I feel compelled to ascend, having wondered at its size since childhood.

Egon is horking a hairball.

The public spaces out here are pretty awesome. Um, the lake is huge, the Mexican food is fantastic, and everything is very flat. I've never seen so many recumbent bikes. Oh, this place is fuckin' big. Takes forever to get from one end to the other.

* The Gay Games are in full effect. That explains why everyone was so pleasant, well-dressed, and fit at the gym.

Comments

[znuh.livejournal.com]

...And where are you again?!

[lepidosiren.livejournal.com]

Chicago.

[synaesthesia.livejournal.com]

Gino's Pizza! You must eat Gino's for me!!

[lepidosiren.livejournal.com]

If you mean Gino's East, then it is done. That was the fattest pizza I've ever eaten.

[synaesthesia.livejournal.com]

Yes! The first time Tim took me to Chicago he ruined me with it. We've been back like, five times since but has he taken me back? Nooo... He took me to have one of those nasty soggy roast beef sandwiches last time (how can you hold something so wet and drippy in your hands and eat it?), but no Gino's yellow crust yumminess. *pout*

[bottleimp.livejournal.com]

Sounds to me like "Chicago is fancy."

[ayun.livejournal.com]

It's not - not any more than any other city of its size. Someone's just spending too much time in the Loop.

[halo.livejournal.com]

nope, not at all until today. This post is all Wicker Park and Hyde Park.

[ayun.livejournal.com]

Isn't Bin near Marina City? Under some hotel?

[halo.livejournal.com]

no, I think that's a different place with a similar name (Bin 36?). The one we went to is right in the middle of Wicker Park, on Milwaukee, two doors down from Filter (it just opened a few months ago).

[ayun.livejournal.com]

Ah, my mistake. Have you had brunch at the Bongo Room? That's the only one of the semi-new Wicker Park restaurants I've actually eaten at.

[halo.livejournal.com]

ooh yeah, Bongo. I don't usually bother with it on weekends (it's typically a ~2 hour wait), but they recently opened a location in Grant Park/South Loop which is much closer to my house and much less crowded, and seems to be staffed mainly with very beautiful gay men-- all plusses in my book.

For brunch my favorite place in Chicago is actually Toast, which is in Bucktown, and serves (among other things) artichoke heart eggs benedict and blackberry and mascarpone stuffed french toast. oh. my. god.

Nothing will ever replace Soundbites for me, though.

[bottleimp.livejournal.com]

I was just sniping at the Lepido for his "nothing is fancy" tagline juxtaposed with descriptions of such an obscenely indulgent trip.

[silentq.livejournal.com]

Mmm, Medici. I've had many a breakfast and lunch there. I need to try and recreate their strawberry lemonade, stat.

[alonewiththemoon]

I don't often get nostalgic for Chicago, but this post has made me miss it.

well, I always miss the quality Mexican food.

[halo.livejournal.com]

Halo hates it passionately.

I think you meant to say, "Halo hates it with the fire of a thousand suns."

[talesinsdaughtr.livejournal.com]

How can you not hate poured concrete structures?

[halo.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU

[panzerkunst.livejournal.com]

I had to do the Sears Tower touristy thing, too. Be prepared for the fastest elevator trip ever.

[dirtyknees.livejournal.com]

Today we went to the U of C gym, a new building with excellent air conditioning. It was full of swimming faggots* and state-of-the-art equipment.

Gah - the old one was a real pit, but I do retain fond memories of it, since that's where I learned to lift (1 quarter of mandatory gym, I chose weight training).

The Regenstein Library is a magnificent example of of poured concrete Brutalism.

It's right next to the site of the first self-sustaining nuclear reaction - I think the Reg mutated as a result. I'm sure babies might have been conceived on the benches in there, and they, too, might be mutated.

Mmmmm, Medici, though I do miss it in its original location. Your U of C experience would be complete if Halo took you for some Harold's.

Glad you're having a lovely trip. I try to explain how hot Chicago gets in the summer (and how breath-takingly cold in winter), but people here scoff, thinking it can't be worse than Boston. They are wrong.